


Forgiveness

by lieutenantaclassi



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, spoilers up to chapter 10
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-08
Updated: 2017-02-08
Packaged: 2018-09-22 22:42:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9628499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lieutenantaclassi/pseuds/lieutenantaclassi
Summary: "The Amicitia family has but one duty: to safeguard and support the king."Those were one of the last things Clarus' had told his son, and Gladio thought he had performed his duty quite well.But maybe he had been wrong.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place between chapter 10: The hand of the king (the quest in the mine), and before Chapter 11.  
> I think Gladio got off a bit too easy for being so harsh towards Noctis after what happened in Altissia. And I also think Prompto deserves a chance to show some emotions (I mean, he's obviously distressed about the tension in the group).  
> So I wrote this because I felt something was missing between what happened in chapter 10 and 11.

After leaving the mines and heading back onto the train things had still been horribly tense, even with Ignis finally speaking up about it. Sure, Gladio hadn’t yelled any more at Noctis after that, but when they occasionally did acknowledge each other it was almost impossible for Gladio to not make some kind of snide comment.

Noctis usually let it slip, just silencing himself and looking out through the window. Prompto could see how it made Ignis tense up a bit, but not enough to speak up about the bickering again. Gladio would just mildly glare at Noctis before crossing his arms and looking the other way. And Noctis would keep staring out, a pained look on his face. And it was killing Prompto to see them all be so  _ broken _ . They had been unbreakable once, at least it had felt so. But he had clearly been wrong.

Obviously Ignis putting his foot down back at the mine hadn’t been enough to change the situation for the better, so one night when Ignis and Noctis both had gone to bed, Prompto sought Gladio out. Thankfully Prompto found him sitting in an empty compartment of the train, and he looked up at Prompto with a surprised look on his face as the other took a deep breath and sat down in front of him.

“Gladio… do you remember what the king asked of us?”

“What the hell?” Gladio said with a frown on his face, “Of course I do. You need me to remind you?”

Prompto didn't answer for a while, instead he stubbornly glared at Gladio, looking as if he was trying hard to contain his emotions. Gladio wasn’t sure if he was about to start crying or screaming, but he was clearly struggling.

“I think you need the reminder, Gladio,” Prompto’s voice wavered a bit and he had to take a deep breath as he collected his thoughts, “Regis asked us to stand by Noct’s side, not to  _ guide _ him… But you are pushing him, Gladio, you are pushing him so hard towards a goal we hardly know. You are trying to force him to stay on a path that he’s not even straying from!”

“Look, kid, Noctis is the king now and he gotta pull his head out of his ass! This is bigger than us, bigger than Noctis and his  _ feelings _ !”

Gladio slammed a fist into the table, gritting his teeth. A couple of months earlier that would probably have made Prompto jump and feel intimidated. Gladio could be really scary when he wanted to be, but this time Prompto didn’t even flinch as he stared back at Gladio, refusing to back off or give up.

“You’re right, Noctis is king… and guess what? You are his shield!” Prompto exclaimed, the frustration evident in his voice, “You know, I’ve been trying  _ really _ hard to be there for him, for  _ everyone _ , and if you took a good look at him you’d see how much he’s suffering. If you even  _ care _ . He’s lost so much, Gladio, we all have but just… take a moment to think about it!”

Now it was Prompto’s turn to slam his hands onto the table, he was so angry that he just didn’t know what to do. He leaned in closer to Gladio, still not breaking eye contact. He was absolutely seething.

“You’ve hurt the one thing you’ve  _ sworn _ to protect,” Prompto continued before Gladio could defend himself, “Noctis is the one person you are supposed to keep safe, and instead you’re breaking him! He’s trying so hard, he’s still here, right? And he doesn’t need to suffer more than necessary just because you can’t get your head out of your ass!”

“ _ I _ can’t get my head out of my ass?!” Gladio exclaimed and let out a sharp and bitter laugh, “He can’t fucking get his head out of  _ his _ ass! He needs to step up!”

“But how can you live with yourself when you’re slowly killing him?!” Prompto suddenly stood up, not able to keep still in the seat. His fists were clenched at his sides and he wanted nothing more than to punch Gladio, but he didn’t, not right now at least, “How can you not feel the slightest bit guilty?! Don’t you get it?! Noctis is going to fall apart because of  _ you _ ! You aren’t making anything better, you are making it worse! You’ve done nothing more than make him worse ever since we left Altissia!”

“If the fucking brat can’t move forward, then I gotta move forward for him!” Gladio hissed as he stared up at Prompto, “It’s obvious that he can’t focus, so that falls on me! He’s just gonna have to put on his big-boy pants and deal with it!”

For a moment Prompto tried to convince himself to leave and give up since it seemed to be a lost cause to try and make Gladio come around. But once Prompto turned around he realized that he couldn’t give up without a fight. So he whipped around, and before Gladio could even process what was going on, Prompto’s fist had collided with Gladio’s face.  _ Hard _ .

“What the fuck?!”

Prompto cursed loudly as he felt something snap within his hand. He wasn’t really trained for hand to hand combat, and he was pretty sure that he just had broken a bone within his hand. He’d definitely have to take a potion for that, maybe even a hi-potion judging by how painful it was.

“Fuck!” Prompto gritted his teeth as he cradled his right hand against his chest and blinked back the tears, it hurt a lot, “Shit!”

“Yeah that was really smart, you fucking idiot!” Gladio snapped as he wiped blood away from his nose, trying to assure himself that it wasn’t broken, “Go get a potion for that damned hand of yours!”

“If I do that now I’ll just come back and punch you again because I swear by the Six that I am going to  _ kill _ you if you don’t apologize to Noctis,” Prompto viciously said, managing to look quite threatening despite having tears in his eyes.

“Insomnia fell. Noct’s dad is dead,  _ your _ dad is dead… Ignis’ uncle is probably dead. Luna’s dead, Ignis lost his sight. And guess who blames it all on himself? Noct! Who basically has all the burdens of this world on his shoulders? Noct!” Prompto loudly exclaimed as he started pacing back and forth, “You’re not standing by his side and you’re not being his shield.”

“You don’t understand, it’s -,”

“I  _ know _ , you said it’s bigger than us and Noctis, and I know that,” Prompto impatiently said, tired of hearing Gladio's excuses, “But also know that you’re the coward you accuse Noct of being. You’re a  coward who has abandoned your sworn duty, and even gone against the king’s request. What would  _ your _ dad think of that? You’re deliberately hurting someone who needs your support. You’re forcing him to move at a pace he can’t handle, and he’s going to break. And the day he finally does, which is looking to be really soon, know that it’s gonna be on  _ you _ .”

Prompto stopped his pacing just to accusingly point at Gladio with his left hand, still holding his right hand close to his chest.

“Could you live with yourself, Gladio?” he then asked, a softer tone to his voice, and Gladio realized he looked really sad, “Could you live with yourself it Noctis died in battle tomorrow, with him thinking that this is all his fault, and that you hate him?”

Gladio couldn’t bring himself to answer as Prompto swallowed and shook his head, trying to blink away tears.

“I know that I couldn’t. Noct isn’t a coward, not close to it,” Prompto murmured, “Crap… if I had been in Noct’s position? I can’t even begin to imagine the pain and suffering he must go through… but he’s still with us. Not sure if I could have handled that...”

Prompto let out a tired laugh and wiped tears from his face with the back of his hand before taking a shaky breath and looking at Gladio who quickly looked away. A look of shame was starting to settle in on his face.

“Just think about it for a while,” Prompto quietly said, “Put yourself in his position… and then, if you still think of him as a coward…”

Prompto didn’t finish the sentence. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if Gladio wouldn’t come around. Part of him wanted to refuse to let Gladio near Noctis again if he was going to keep being an ass, but it was hard to go through with something like that. And they needed Gladio. They'd never be able to do it without him. They needed to work together.

After a while he took a deep breath and didn’t even look at Gladio as he turned around and started walking. As his hand landed on the door handle he hesitated a while before speaking again.

“Despite everything… he still cares about you,” Prompto said, “And me too, somehow. Even if you’re a mean asshat with issues that I couldn’t dig through even if you handed me a damned shovel… Just think about it, _please_.”

With that he left and slammed the door shut, making the glass in the door’s window shake.

Gladio was left in silence, just staring at the back of Prompto’s head as he disappeared further and further away. It was safe to say that the kid had balls. And that it was one of the most adult moments Gladio had seen him have.

His nose was still aching. Prompto might not have known how to throw a proper punch, but it had done enough damage to cause quite a lot of pain.

Part of Gladio just wanted to ignore everything Prompto had said, but if his behavior had caused such a huge attitude change in Prompto, then  _ maybe _ he had to think it over a bit.

_ Could you live with yourself if Noctis died tomorrow? _

The thought made him feel an almost physical stab of pain. Imagining Noctis dead did hurt, but that was what he had been trying so hard to avoid. He had to push forward. Get closer towards their goal. Always on the road, and no time for mishaps. They had to be effective and not stray.

And Noctis… well, he hadn’t strayed. Even if Gladio had thought that he had been straying, he hadn’t. Prompto was right about Noctis still being on the path.

Noctis had been on the path all along, even after the things that happened in Altissia. Sure, he had been quiet and moody, but he had still been on the path with them.

_ Know that it’s gonna be on you. _

He was Noctis’ shield. Sworn to protect Noctis with his life from dangers. Sworn to always keep him safe. Gladio was supposed to keep Noctis safe from all kinds of dangers, not only monsters.

Safe from danger. Safe from himself. Safe from self-doubt.

Instead Gladio had let Noctis wallow in his despair, even fueling it with harsh words aimed to hurt. Words from Gladio’s own mouth. Words and actions that continually was eating away at Noctis.

Would Gladio have let anyone else do those things to Noctis? Would he have let a stranger go up and call Noctis a coward and belittle everything he had gone through so far?

What would Gladio’s  _ father _ have done? Would Clarus Amicitia ever have talked that way to Regis? No. There was no way he would have done such a thing.

Gladio sighed as he buried his face in his hands. Gods, he was so damned exhausted. He’d do almost anything to be able to talk to his father again, and ask for advice. But he was gone, perished to protect Regis against a threat both of them had known that they couldn’t win against.

Both Regis and Clarus had known they’d die back in Insomnia, both sending their sons away so they’d live. Clarus could have made a run for it, too, left the king behind to catch up with his son and daughter.

_ The Amicitia family has but one duty: to safeguard and support the king. _

The words were crystal clear in Gladio’s mind, and he winced as he thought back to the conversation he had had with his father in the Crownsguard office, one of the last conversations he had ever had with his old man. It had been just the day before they had left Insomnia.

Clarus had stayed by Regis side until the very end, knowing what the cost was.

_ No matter what happens, Gladiolus, you must keep Prince Noctis safe. _

Even if it meant standing in front of him, awaiting a certain death. Just like his father had done for Regis.

_ Protect him not just as the next king, but as a comrade and a true friend. I will do the same within the Wall. I entrust matters on the outside to you. _

Playing up the conversation in his mind was heart wrenching. It  _ hurt _ because his father was gone, but it almost hurt even more because now it was starting to sink in.

Regis had asked them to stand by Noctis’ side.

Clarus, his own father, had asked Gladio to protect Noctis no matter what. To protect him, not only as the  _ king _ , but also as a  _ true friend _ . It was so much more than loyalty to your king, it was loyalty to someone you cared and loved for.

The way Clarus’ loyalty had been unwavering in standing by Regis’ side. They had been friends ever since they were teenagers. True friendship. Gladio had seen the two of them share laughs and jokes between each other, just like any other normal friends would. And there had always been a fondness in Clarus’ eyes when he sometimes talked about Regis when they all had dinner at home. It was more than duty, it was a irreplaceable friendship that run deep.

“Shit,” Gladio quietly said as he stared ahead of himself.

Clarus would have been ashamed of Gladio’s behavior. He’d be so damned pissed. If Clarus  _ knew _ how Gladio had treated Noctis the past weeks he’d turn in his grave, or wherever his final resting place was back in Insomnia. Perhaps even crawl up and pull Gladio back with him for not getting his own damned duty right.

Who were doing their duties?

Ignis, the ever loyal advisor, despite losing his sight he was still refusing to leave their side. Even down in the mines he had held his own, with a bit of help, of course. But without Ignis they would all have been screwed. Ignis who hated ambiguity, who wanted everything to be crystal clear, now only saw darkness. Yet he still remained at Noctis’ side, his loyalty and love for Noctis stronger than the despair of losing his sight. And Gladio felt ashamed for even thinking of having wanted to leave Ignis behind.

And then there was Prompto. He didn’t even have a duty to be with them. He was just like any other citizen of Insomnia. But he had been Noctis’ best friend for five years, and had asked to come with them, even going through training to not get in the way. He had given up his old life to go with them even if it meant he could die. And even now, after all the horrors and death they had seen, Prompto remained at Noctis’ side, ever vigilant and always there to try and make the prince smile. Even at the darkest times he’d try to keep the group together, even if it wasn’t a duty he had to do. He was the glue that kept them together a lot of the times.

And last, but not least, there was Noctis.

Noctis who had left Insomnia with the four of them to head to Altissia to marry Lady Lunafreya for the sake of the treaty. He had been ready to fulfill his duty, and even when Insomnia had fallen they had pressed on to find out the truth of what was going on.

And then Cor had dropped the truth bomb upon them, how Regis had known, and that Noctis had to reclaim the royal weapons of past Lucian kings. Noctis had hurt, he had been frustrated and upset, but he had stepped up and started to collect the weapons despite the toll it took on him.

As if that wasn’t enough, there had been the issue of receiving the Astrals’ blessings, causing Noctis wracking headaches until they finally had received Titan’s blessing. Only to be followed by trial after trial, running around begging gods for their blessings and powers. Ramuh had been easy, but Leviathan had been a different deal.

In Altissia everything had gone to hell. There Ignis lost his sight, Luna was killed and Noctis barely made it out alive.

Noctis had awoken, another person in his life ripped out of his hands, only leaving a heavier burden behind. This time in the form of the ring of the Lucii. The ring symbolized so much. A sign of power, yet such a heavy burden for anyone to carry. Especially for a young prince who had seen way too many people die for the ring to be delivered to him.

Despite all of those things, Noctis was still there. He could have given up at any point. He could have said no to going to Altissia. He could just have decided to go hide and never come back. Instead he had pressed on with them, a four man mission to get to the crystal in Niflheim.

An impossible mission, many would say.

Noctis was doing his duty and so much more.

Ignis was doing his duty and hadn’t hesitated in it even after becoming blind.

Prompto had taken on a duty on his own, refusing to leave Noctis’ side no matter what, even going so far as to  _ punching _ Gladio for neglecting his own duty.

And he had  _ really _ been neglecting it, he realized.

Before Altissia he had always had Noctis’ back, even with some tough talks he had still been able to communicate and let Noctis know why he said what he did, and Noctis had understood. He had done it all out of care for Noctis, to help him focus.

Now he was just driving them forward by doing whatever he had to, even if it meant kicking on Noctis while he was down. And that wasn’t what he had sworn to do. He was supposed to offer his hand, pull Noctis back up. Talk to him, make him see that he wasn’t in it alone.  _ Support _ him.

Instead he had done things the wrong way, and probably made Noctis feel lonelier than ever.

Gods, Gladio was glad that Noctis had Prompto and Ignis as well, if it only had been the two of them he had never realized just how badly he had handled the situation.

He knew Prompto was right. He’d have to apologize to Noctis, without expecting forgiveness. He didn’t feel as if he deserved to ask for forgiveness, and could only hope that Noctis still wanted him around.

**Author's Note:**

> Clarus' lines are taken straight from the novel prologue, Parting Ways (it's a web novel available for free if you wanna read it, takes place just before they leave Insomnia).  
> Anyway, next us is the actual apology. It's just gonna be two chapters since I simply felt an apology was lacking in the story of the game :)


End file.
